


Sparkle Season

by predilection



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-12-09 23:46:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/predilection/pseuds/predilection
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronny couldn't think of any place she'd rather spend the holidays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sparkle Season

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for nomadskye for the funhappyprfic challenge in 2008. 
> 
> Thank you to muse_in_denial for the beta!
> 
> [January 2017 edit: Now with slight changes and a new title because parts of the original were dismissive and oppressive, and that's just not cool. Also, some bonus new cute scenes, because these two deserve all the cute scenes.]

The communication console on the jet blinked, signally an incoming transmission. Ronny hit a small red switch and Mack's face appeared on a monitor in the dash. 

"Hey, Mack. I'm on my way," she reported. "Sorry I'm cutting it so close. Time trials ran longer than expected."

The time trials were also why Mr. Hartford had granted her use of the jet. She had managed to get them scheduled first thing in the morning, but with the time difference, she had to get from Germany to San Angeles in an hour if she planned to make it in time for dinner.

"Yeah, about that," Mack said in a way that was both casual and sheepish. "Rose says she's still at work."

"Work?" she asked.

Will appeared behind Mack and draped an arm over his shoulder. "What Mack is trying to say is that she's at school, and that if you don't pick her up, she's not going to show."

Ronny rolled her eyes. Only Rose would miss a Christmas party to put in overtime at an academic institution. "I got 'cha," she confirmed. "Forward me the coordinates and consider it done."

"I appreciated it, Ronny," Mack said. 

Just before Mack and Will disconnected, there was the sound of a crash and both of them turned to look to their left. Ronny had to laugh. She was sure that Dax or Tyzonn were unintentionally causing a ruckus.

Ronny couldn't think of any place she'd rather spend the holidays.

When their mission as rangers ended, Ronny returned to her racing career, but it wasn't quite the same anymore. Sometimes she missed saving the world, but mostly she missed being around her fellow rangers. This was why she was looking forward to the Christmas party. More than anything, it was an excuse for them to all be under the same roof again, and she wouldn't miss it for the world.

Ronny put the jet in standby mode and then teleported down into an empty courtyard on campus. Will's directions took her to an architecturally modern building at the south end of campus. She tried the main doors only to find them locked. There was a buzzer, but the security guard on the other end had no intention of letting her in without clearance, Ronny Robinson or not. It was times like this that she wished Rose actually used her cell phone.

Ronny walked around the side of the building. Originally she was looking for another entrance, but when she noticed two people walking towards the same doors she just tried, she got an idea. They were too far away for her to make out clearly, but she waited until the first figure held the door for the second. Then she ran. Her super-speed kicked in almost instantly, and she was through the doors. 

Once inside, she had to stop to get her bearings. The problem with super-speed was that there was less time to make decisions. She eyed a security camera with distaste at the same time that she spotted someone entering an elevator and sped into it before the doors closed. 

The elevator's other occupant turned out to be a man in a lab coat holding a clipboard and wearing an ID tag that read "Jeffery Stevens". Once the shock wore off his face, he eyed her curiously. She briefly worried he'd report her to security, but he only pushed the button that would take him to the sixth floor.

"Excuse me," she started as the elevator began its ascent. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. You wouldn't by any chance--"

He cut her off by hitting the button for the third floor.

"Dr. Ortiz should be in her office," he informed her, smiling now. Without prompting, he explained, "When you get out of the elevator, turn left. Her office is near the end of the hall. It's number three fourteen."

The doors opened at the third floor and she snorted in amusement. "Thanks."

She was surprised when, as the elevator doors closed, he said, "The pleasure is mine, Ms. Robinson." Their identities as rangers were public knowledge, and sometimes that fact came in handy in surprising ways.

Ronny found Rose's office easily, as it was the only one on the floor with the door open, and judging by the lack of light under the doors, it was also the only one occupied. Rose was sitting at a large wooden desk with a wide variety of papers scattered across its surface. She was typing at her laptop and didn't look up when Ronny knocked on the door. 

"Hey, Jeff," she greeted. "I left the report in your mailbox."

Ronny crossed her arms, leaned against the doorframe, and tried to keep the amusement out of her voice when she commented, "So this is what you've been up to?"

Rose lifted her head so quickly, Ronny was sure she'd get whiplash. "Ronny?" she asked, shock apparent on her face. "What are you doing here?" She paused in thought, her eyebrows rising in the process. "How did you get in?"

"There's a Christmas party tonight," Ronny reminded her. "And I'm pretty sure your invitation didn't get lost in the mail since Mack said he also called you about it."

"I have to finish my thesis this weekend," Rose said, as if this explained everything. It was times like these that Ronny was reminded that Rose had spent most of her life within the walls of academic institutions. Sometimes, despite knowing better, she wondered if Rose did anything besides study and teach.

"It's Christmas," Ronny pointed out. "And everyone's going to be there." At the very least, couldn't Rose take her work with her? "Can you work on your laptop?"

Rose stared at her, and then gestured towards the laptop open in front of her.

Ronny rolled her eyes. "I mean, the laptop is portable. Can't you just bring your thesis with you?" She didn't like the idea of Rose working at the Hartford mansion -- especially when she would be surrounded by her friends -- but Ronny figured that she could deal with Rose's work-a-holic tendencies after they got to California.

Thankfully, Rose seemed to be considering the proposition. "I'll need my research," she said finally. 

Ronny wasn't expecting her to agree so easily, but she wasn't about to argue. "Is this it here on your desk?" she asked, gesturing with her right hand.

"I'll need some books, too," Rose replied, but she was talking to herself now. She reached under her desk and produced a briefcase. It took Rose only a couple of minutes to collect her work, and once it was packed, Rose followed Ronny into the hall. "I haven't packed clothing or anything," she told Ronny.

"I didn't pack either," Ronny admitted. "There should still be clothing in our rooms. And there's always our spare uniforms."

"I suppose that's true," Rose agreed, somewhat hesitantly.

"We'll be fine," Ronny reassured her and Rose didn't pursue the point.

In the elevator, Ronny noticed what Rose was wearing. Unlike Jeff's professional attire, Rose wore knee-high lace-up black leather boots over jeans and a black leather corset under a corduroy jacket. Ronny had no idea how Rose got away with dressing like she did. Not that she minded. She liked that Rose dressed the way she wanted and didn't seem to care what anyone else thought.

"I kinda snuck in," Ronny said as they neared the door. "Security might not be too happy with me."

Rose didn't seem surprised. "I wouldn't worry about it. If you're with me, they won't care."

Ronny lightly jostled Rose's shoulder with her own. "The perks of being a genius," she joked, and the corners of Rose's mouth quirked upwards.

"How did you get here anyway?" Rose asked, after Ronny led her to the courtyard. 

"I brought the jet," Ronny told her, pointing up at the sky.

"You brought the jet?" Rose exclaimed, mouth falling open.

Ronny suppressed the urge to laugh at the expression on Rose's face. "How else were we supposed to get to San Angeles by seven o'clock pacific standard?" she asked innocently. "And besides, Will got the jet airspace clearance to be here."

"All this just to pick me up?" Rose asked. She looked even more shocked than she had a moment ago.

"Of course," Ronny told her easily. "You're important."

Rose stared at her for a moment, then shook her head as if to clear it. "Let's get going then."

Together, they teleported up to the jet and settled into the cockpit.

They had been in the air less than five minutes when Rose took out her laptop. Ronny watched her out of the corner of her eye and decided that there was no way she was going to let Rose spend the rest of the day working. She asked, "What's your thesis about anyway? Robotics?"

Rose didn't look away from the computer screen. "Actually, sustainable development. Biofuels to be exact."

Ronny vaguely remembered Rose getting into environmental studies during their "break" from being rangers. Thrax had severed their connection to the morphing grid, and veteran rangers had taken over. It always bothered Ronny how easily they lost contact with each other during that incident.

"You mean, like, powering cars with corn and stuff?" Ronny asked.

"Yes," Rose answered. "Exactly like that."

"So what are you arguing about biofuels?" Ronny asked, determined to keep the conversation going.

"Ethanol fuels, for example," Rose began, "are not nearly as efficient as most people think they are."

Truthfully, Ronny was less curious about the fuel and more curious about how Rose was able to become an expert in so many fields. Ronny had trouble remembering what she did last week so she had no idea how Rose managed to keep so much information in her head, and she marveled at how passionate Rose was towards her studies.

"Most corn is grown using unsustainable farming practices," Rose continued. "Nitrogen fertilizers, which are used in corn fields, are, in fact, produced by burning fossil fuels... are you even listening?" 

"Yes," Ronny answered.

"No, you're not," Rose said.

"You sound like you have a great critique of ethanol," Ronny assured her. "I'm listening. I really am." Then, because it was true, she added, "I like listening to you."

In her peripheral vision, Ronny saw Rose freeze, then shake her head and grin. "That's already the second time today," Rose pointed out.

"The second time?"

"The second time you've surprised me," Rose explained.

Ronny couldn't help but smile back at her. She would never be able to outsmart Rose, but at least she could surprise her. 

"What did you think of Tyzonn's invitations?" Ronny asked, changing the subject to the party.

Rose sounded amused when she commented, "I figured he must have been the one who made them."

"Actually, Will told me that he and Mack made them together. For one of their first experiments with arts and crafts, I don't think they did too badly."

Rose snorted. "When I opened the envelope, I got glitter all over my lap."

Ronny had also gotten an envelope filled with glitter except most of it had ended up in her car. "Personally, I liked how they tried to write everything using glitter."

"Considering glitter isn't the easiest medium to work with, I think they did a commendable job. Though I'd be happy to return their... excess glitter."

"We could collect it and return it to them," Ronny suggested, trying not to laugh.

"Do you know how long it takes to get glitter off of... well, anything?" Rose asked.

"So what you're saying," Ronny interpreted, "is that we should tar and glitter them?"

Rose chuckled, and Ronny realized she had closed her laptop. "Spencer would kill us," she pointed out.

"So what you're saying," Ronny interpreted again, "is that we should blame it on Will."

Rose undid her seatbelt and when she came to sit next to Ronny, her laptop was nowhere in sight. "You have yourself a deal," she told Ronny, and Ronny couldn't help but think that maybe Rose would enjoy herself after all.

When they arrived at the Hartford mansion, the party was already in full swing. Spencer greeted them at the door, and before they finished embracing him, Dax and Mack had appeared in the entryway demanding their own hugs. 

"It's been too long," Dax said, as energetic and cheery as ever. She didn't think much of the santa hat Mack was wearing until she noticed that Dax was wearing a blue one. She was going to ask him about it but then Dax dragged her into the common room.

Tyzonn cheered, "Ronny!" and rushed across the room towards her. "Rose!" he called a moment later, and Ronny turned to see Rose and Mack enter behind her. She realized that both Tyzonn and Vella were wearing silver santa hats before Tyzonn pulled her into a bear hug. She missed this, she thought, as she embraced Vella next. 

Will threw an arm over her shoulder when Vella moved to hug Rose. "You made it," he said. He wore a black santa hat. 

She teasingly jabbed him with her elbow. "Is that doubt I hear in your voice?"

He shrugged and attempted to suppress a smirk. "I admit nothing." Then he added, "Though I am impressed you got Rose to come. How did you convince her, anyway?"

"It wasn't that hard," Ronny confessed, and when she thought about it, she had to admit that it had been a lot easier than she expected.

Will untangled himself from her shoulder, and a moment later, produced pink and yellow santa hats from behind his back. Without warning, he shoved the yellow one onto Ronny's head and then he slapped the white fluff ball at the end of it into her face. She swatted it away playfully. "Thanks, Will," she deadpanned.

He smirked. "Mack made them, actually. Thank him," he suggested.

Ronny plucked the pink hat out his hand and excused herself. She spotted Rose talking to Mack. When she got close enough, she realized Mack was talking about his most recent archaeological adventure. Mack noticed her approach but did nothing to hint to Rose that she was coming towards them. When Ronny shoved the pink santa hat onto Rose's head, she squawked in surprise. Rose pulled the hat off her head to examine it, and then put it back on.

For Rose's benefit, she gestured towards Mack and said, "I heard you made them."

"Yeah. Do you like them?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Spencer showed me how to use the sewing machine and suggested I make something 'productive'. I think he meant curtains for the study, but I like what I came up with more."

"They're great," Ronny agreed.

"I made ones for dad and Spencer too," Mack continued. "Spencer keeps taking his off though."

Rose looked around the room and Ronny attempted to follow her gaze. She didn't understand what Rose was looking for until she asked, "Where is Mr. Hartford?"

"Dad got some important phone call," Mack explained. "I think he's in his office. He should be back before dinner."

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when they all heard Dax say, "You're supposed to kiss under it."

The three of them turned to see Dax standing with Tyzonn and Vella. He was pointing up at mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. "It's an Earth custom," Dax explained.

"Oh," Tyzonn said. Without preamble, he turned to Vella and kissed her on the lips. She smiled into the kiss and kissed him back. Ronny couldn't help but think they were cute. Will whistled from the couch, but he was ignored by the couple.

"Like that?" Vella asked when they parted.

Dax nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah," he said, big smile on his face. "Like that."

Ronny knew what was going to happen before it did, but she still wasn't prepared when Tyzonn grabbed Dax's shoulders, pulled him forward and kissed him on the cheek.

Everyone in the room erupted in cheers and laughter and Will whistled again. He stopped whistling when Vella took a seat next to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy Earth Tradition!" she said cheerfully, and Will was so taken aback that he could only blink at her.

The next thing Ronny knew, Tyzonn was kissing Mack on the cheek, then her and Rose the same way.

"Awwww!" Mack exclaimed loudly, getting into the spirit of things. "Come here you!" He grabbed Tyzonn's arm before he could escape and kissed him on the cheek. Rose got up on her tiptoes to kiss the other side of Tyzonn's face. Ronny couldn't stop grinning. It was the emotion she felt right at that moment that was exactly what she missed about being a ranger.

She was broken from her thoughts when Mack faced Dax and opened his arms wide. Both of them moved towards each other and embraced over-dramatically in the center of the room.

"I missed you, buddy!" Mack told him, pretending to hold back tears.

"I missed you too, man!" Dax said in between fake crying noises.

Ronny was laughing at the pair so she almost missed it when Rose said, "Merry Christmas". When Ronny turned to make eye contact with her, Rose surprised her by getting up on her tiptoes and kissing Ronny straight on the lips.

Ronny barely processed what was happening. The next thing she registered was that Rose was crossing the room to reach Dax. Rose and Dax pretended to kiss each other's cheeks in greeting and fell onto the nearby couch in a fit of giggles.

At some point, Ronny realized she had unconsciously brought her fingers to her lips and that Will was standing at her side wearing a very amused smirk. "You go, girl!" he said, patting her on the shoulder, and then leaned forward to deliver a small kiss to the side of her face. 

She kissed him on the cheek, and then asked, "What?" though she was sure that he had seen Rose kiss her. She regretted saying anything when Will gave her a knowing look.

"Ty," Will called out, saving her from continuing the conversation. "I almost forgot how entertaining you are to have around."

Tyzonn, now back by Vella's side, furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

"He meant the kissing," Mack supplied, helpfully, though Tyzonn didn't look any less confused.

"Isn't kissing under mistletoe your Earth tradition?" he asked.

Mack laughed and admitted, "Not quite like that."

"We're glad to have you here, Ty," Rose said. She quickly added, "And you too, Vella."

Something about this comment prompted Mack to run to the kitchen. He returned with Spencer and a tray of drinks. Mack deposited a mug of hot chocolate into Ronny's hands and a mug of eggnog into Will's. Ronny shared a look with Will and he shrugged.

Mack called, "Dad!"

Mr. Hartford appeared in the doorway a moment later, a red santa hat on his head. "Rose! Ronny!" he exclaimed the second he was through the door. "I'm glad you could make it."

Mack stopped him from crossing the room by handing him a mug. Then he held up his own mug and declared, "A toast! To friends!"

Everyone lifted their own mugs. "To friends!" they repeated. 

Ronny took a sip of her hot chocolate, but almost choked on it when she saw the face Will made at his eggnog. "Not an eggnog fan?" she asked, trying not to laugh at him.

He grimaced. "I'll be right back," he told her and escaped to the kitchen.

Ronny joined Rose, who was listening to Mr. Hartford. He interrupted himself to give her a hug. He told her, "It's good to see you, Ronny. I've been following your races in Speed Demons."

Speed Demons was a magazine that catered to the racing world. Practically every issue had an article on her and she was on the cover of the September issue. It didn't seem like the kind of thing he'd read, so Ronny was a little surprised. "Thanks, Mr. Hartford," she said. 

He explained, "I was just telling Rose that I wasn't expecting her to show up. She tells me I have you to thank for her presence."

Ronny looked to Rose, and caught her eye. "I picked her up on the way," Ronny admitted.

"Well," Mr. Hartford said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Thank you for coming."

"Where's Norg?" Rose asked.

"He's up north. He said something about yeti traditions," Mr. Hartford replied. "He should be returning by New Years."

The sound of a bell cut off the conversation in the room and made them turn. Spencer stood in the doorway holding a small silver bell in his hand. As refined as always, he told them, "Dinner is served," and ushered them into the dining room.

Ronny took a seat to Rose's left, and once they all had food on their plates, the stories started. Sometime after Dax's story about his newest film project, but before the third time Spencer begged her to stop talking with her mouth full, Ronny realized she was the happiest she had been in months.

When they were helping clear the table, she shared her realization with Rose. A mostly empty bowl of green beans in her hands, Rose paused to consider Ronny's words. A small smile crept onto her face. "Me too," she said softly.

Ronny grinned, and they smiled at each other. Rose opened her mouth to say something, but then she seemed to think better of it. 

"Come on," Ronny said, saving her from speaking. "Let's get the table cleared before Spencer threatens to take away our dessert."

"I heard that," Spencer said behind them, balancing three plates and a platter with ease. "And don't think I wouldn't." 

They laughed and finished clearing the table.

The stories continued through dessert and into the evening. Eventually they migrated back to the common room. Ronny claimed a corner of a couch. Most of the seats and the rest of the couch was free so she was surprised when Rose snuggled up next to her. She wasn't sure what had gotten into Rose, but she wasn't about to complain. The pink fabric of her santa hat was soft where it rested against her neck.

Will shot Ronny another knowing look when he spotted them. He rubbed two of fingers together and raised his eyebrows in question. She tried to ignore him, but she couldn't help but notice that he continued to smile at her, his eyes sparkling.

Once they were all settled in, Will regaled them with stories of his team of artifact specialists. Then Tyzonn and Vella talked for over an hour about their trip back to Mercuria -- about being reunited with friends and family, and how they kept busy studying Earth customs. Ronny had never had an opportunity to watch them interact for any length of time, and she thought that the way they finished each other's sentences and looked at each other constantly was adorable.

At Tyzonn's prompting, Rose talked about her most recent work. Mr. Hartford said he had read Rose's paper on industrial agriculture, and once more, Ronny found herself thinking about Rose's dedication to her studies. 

She was aware that if it wasn't for her interference, Rose would be half-way around the world typing away at a thesis paper instead of leaning against her side. Right then and there, Ronny made the decision to pop in and visit Rose more often. She vowed that never again would they go months at a time without contact and smiled to herself.

Will must have noticed the expression on her face because he asked her what she was smiling about. Instantly, she was the center of attention.

"I was just thinking that we should do this more often," she said. "All of us being together, I mean." She used the arm that wasn't pinned under Rose's weight to gesture to the room at large.

Mack perked up at the idea. "What do you think, dad? Can we make this an annual tradition?"

Mr. Hartford smiled warmly at his son before turning to look at everyone in the room. "It would be my pleasure," he replied.

Mack cheered and Dax joined in with a "whoop" of his own.

"Where did I put my earplugs?" Spencer muttered to himself, but his lips were quirking upwards.

"You guys should come visit me in Brazil sometime," Will said. "I can introduce you to my crew." This prompted a discussion and they tentatively settled on the third week of February for the trip. Even Rose said she could probably make it since it was her school's reading week.

There was some talk of Dax throwing a party over the summer and of maybe checking out Ronny's spring races once the schedule was out. Ronny was thrilled that everyone was as enthusiastic as her about spending more time together.

When Tyzonn fell asleep on Vella's shoulder, Spencer told them all to get to bed, though it was another twenty minutes until any of them moved. Ronny followed Spencer to the kitchen when everyone else went upstairs.

"Can I help you?" Spencer asked when he noticed.

"Where do you keep the glitter?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

Spencer briefly glanced at the cabinet in the corner before crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you planning to do with the glitter in question?" he asked, but Ronny had caught the look.

She moved with super-speed to the cabinet, searched it, and pulled out small containers of red, gold and silver glitter. Then she zoomed back to stand in front of Spencer. The entire process took around a two seconds and Spencer stared in horror when he noticed what was in her hands. 

"I certainly hope you're not planning--" he began, but Ronny cut him off.

"Thanks, Spencer!" she said, offering him a mischievous grin before super-speeding upstairs.

Ronny knocked on Rose's door twice. "It's open," she called from inside, so Ronny let herself in. 

Ronny shouldn't have been surprised to find Rose lying on her stomach on her bed with her laptop open in front of her, though Rose voluntarily closed it when Ronny stepped into her room.

"I can't believe you're working," Ronny exclaimed.

"Hey," Rose reminded her with a pout. "You're the one who suggested I should bring my work with me."

Ronny sighed in exasperation. "That's only because I thought you wouldn't leave otherwise. Seriously. It's Christmas! You should enjoy yourself!"

Rose didn't reply right away. She idly scratched at the surface of her laptop, and when she finally did reply, her voice was serious and low. "I am enjoying myself."

Ronny crossed the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under her weight and Rose shifted so she could look Ronny in the eye. "You know," she admitted. "I wasn't planning to come."

Ronny wasn't sure how to reply so she asked, "Why not?"

Rose stared out into the room, and it struck Ronny as strange. Rose didn't normally search for words like this. She followed Rose's gaze and noticed Rose's santa hat hanging on the closet door.

"I forgot what it was like to be around you guys," Rose admitted at last.

Ronny spent so much time wishing they were together again that Rose's words made her pause. It took her a moment to process them. She thought about Rose in her office on campus, and she suspected that Rose spent most of her time within the walls of the university. She was also pretty sure that studying all the time had to be isolating.

Ronny asked, "Do you ever get lonely?" The question escaped her lips before she had thought about it, so she quickly backtracked by admitting, "I do. Racing isn't quite the same after being a ranger."

Rose smiled at her and before Ronny could ask why, Rose said, "Thank you for coming to get me earlier."

Ronny grinned. "That's what friends are for," she reminded her.

Rose's smile faltered for the briefest of moments, and Ronny almost missed it. She wondered if she should pursue the matter, but then remembered why she had come to visit Rose in the first place. "Guess what I found?" she asked.

Rose stared at her blankly, so Ronny prompted her again. "Seriously. Guess."

Rose sat up, intrigued. "I have no idea."

Ronny took the glitter containers out from her back pockets offered them to Rose. Rose accepted them though she shook her head in disbelief.

"You know, I was kidding before," she said, referring to their conversation on the jet.

"I don't know," Ronny said with an impish grin. "I happen to think we can pull this off."

"Spencer is going to kill us," Rose repeated. 

"Your invisibility may come in handy," Ronny pointed out. "I'd hate to do this without you."

Rose took a deep breath. "We're actually going to do this, aren't we?" she asked, as if she wasn't sure if she should be talking herself out of it.

Ronny noticed her use of "we" and grinned. "Yep," she confirmed.

"Should we glitter Tyzonn? I mean, it wouldn't be fair to Vella," Rose pointed out.

Ronny took the silver glitter back from Rose and spun it between her fingers. She remembered Will's teasing from earlier and how he used to prank them when they were rangers and proposed, "We could glitter Will instead."

"We could, but weren't we going to pin this on Will?"

Ronny shrugged. "Dax would make an amazing scapegoat."

"They're all going to know it was us, you know?" Rose laughed.

They would, but that would be half the fun and she told Rose so. 

Rose decided Mack would be their first target considering he actually took part in making the invitations. They snuck into his room easily. He slept tangled in his sheets and they did their best to sprinkle a fine dusting of glitter on every visible part of him, all the while trying not to snicker aloud.

Will was next. They gave him the same treatment as Mack, and when Rose shook extra glitter onto his the tip of his nose, Ronny couldn't stop herself from snorting at the sight.

Will stirred, and Ronny was sure they were busted when she felt Rose grab her hand. She automatically looked to their joined fingers and discovered that Rose had made them both invisible. Ronny was so surprised that she almost didn't pay attention to Will when he sat up and examined the room with blurry eyes. She didn't know that they could share their powers. She wondered if she could take Rose with her in super-speed.

"Guys," Will said, his voice hoarse. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared right at them. "Your invisibility isn't preventing your feet from making imprints in the carpet. And I can hear you breathing."

Ronny tucked the glitter into her back pockets as Rose let go of her hand. "Hi, Will," Ronny said innocently.

He raised an eyebrow at them. "Do I want to know what you're doing sneaking around my room?"

It was then that Ronny figured out why Rose was fighting a grin and losing. Will hadn't noticed the glitter on his face and hands or the glitter that had landed on his pillow. "No," Rose told him. "We were just--"

Will caught Ronny's eye and raised his eyebrows. Cutting Rose off, he told them carefully, "Whatever you're thinking, forget it."

Ronny tugged on Rose's arm. "Okay, okay. We're going," she informed him, pulling Rose out into the hall.

"You better be!" Will called after them.

When Will's door was closed behind them, they both started to giggle. Neither of them mentioned the glitter, knowing that Will was probably listening. Instead, Ronny whispered, "I told you your invisibility would come in handy," and Rose rolled her eyes.

Dax was last. He was snoring so loudly that they didn't worry about waking him when they snuck into his bedroom. They were going to leave the glitter containers on his nightstand, but they ended up dumping the remaining glitter -- to be fair, there wasn't much left -- on his bedspread instead. 

Their mission completed, they crept back to Rose's room. The second the door closed behind them, they collapsed on the carpet in laughter. Rose covered her mouth with her hand, and when she let it drop, she left sparkles beside her lips.

By the time Ronny stopped giggling, there were tears at the corners of her eyes and she was struggling to regain her breath. Rose seemed to be in a similar condition. She flopped backwards onto the carpet so she was lying on her back and raised her palms towards the ceiling. Ronny noticed that her hands were coated in glitter. Ronny examined her own hands to find that they, too, were sparkling.

"Ugh. Remember what I said about this stuff being impossible to get off?" Rose said, lowering her arms. The movement drew Ronny's attention back to Rose's face and the glitter still stuck to her cheek.

Rose caught her staring. "What?" she asked.

In reply, Ronny ran her fingers down the left side of Rose's face. "You have glitter on you," she told her, and when she pulled her hand away, Rose's cheek had twice as much glitter on it as before. Ronny laughed. "And now I've made it worse."

Rose eyed her, and then in one swift movement, she sat up and tackled Ronny to the ground. Before Ronny could react, Rose smushed her palms against Ronny's face, covering her in as much glitter as she possibly could. 

"You're on," Ronny declared, gleefully jabbing her fingers into the sides of Rose's ribcage in retaliation. Rose shrieked, laughing. Ronny tickled her again and, in the process, reversed their positions until she had Rose squirming and giggling under her.

Rose got her revenge by rubbing her palms into Ronny's hair. "It's going to take you hours to get this stuff off tomorrow," she informed Ronny between giggles.

Ronny stopped tickling Rose to call a ceasefire, but before she could voice the offer, she found Rose looking up at her and the words got stuck in her throat. She suddenly realized the way they would look to anyone else. She was lying on top of Rose, their noses almost touching, and she could feel Rose's fingers against the back of her head. If Ronny didn't know better, she'd be tempted to say they were flirting.

The longer the moment stretched on, the more awkward it became so Ronny offered, "On the plus side, since we're covered with glitter too, maybe they won't suspect us as easily."

Rose sighed. Her hands fell from Ronny's hair and she stretched her arms out to the side on the floor. "We're doomed," she confirmed. 

Ronny leveraged herself on her knees before standing upright. She offered Rose her hand. "But it was totally worth it." 

Rose accepted Ronny's offer and Ronny pulled her to her feet. "Totally worth it," Rose agreed, smile stretching across her face.

Ronny found herself returning the expression and realized that Rose's cheer made the entire day worth it. Ronny couldn't recall anytime when she had seen Rose so happy, and she once again promised herself that she'd show up at Rose's school more often. She wanted to have more days like these.

"It's after one in the morning," Rose reported, checking the alarm clock on her bedside table. "We should probably get some sleep."

"We could," Ronny said, flopping down on Rose's bed, the comforter soft against her back.

The mattress dipped and Ronny glanced to the side to see Rose stretched out next to her. The ceiling held Rose's attention and Ronny noticed the pensive expression on her face. She was tempted to ask Rose what was on her mind, but instead she let her eyes become unfocused. Rose's hair blurred into the color of her skin as a comfortable silence stretched between them. 

Eventually, Ronny told Rose, "I've decided I'm going to make trespassing onto your campus a regular occurrence."

"I'd like that," Rose said and smiled. One of her hands snuck across the comforter and Ronny felt Rose's fingers enclose around hers. Ronny turned her palm upwards making it possible for Rose to intertwine their fingers.

"Merry Christmas, Ronny," Rose said, turning to look Ronny in the eye. The glitter on Rose's cheek sparkled.

Ronny smiled back at her. "Merry Christmas, Rose."

Ronny was content with the notion of spending the rest of the night lying like this with Rose. Warmth bubbled up within her and she silently hoped that the night would never end. She squeezed Rose's hand and her smile grew when Rose squeezed back.

Just when Ronny thought nothing could possibly make her any happier, they heard Will shout their names, and Rose rolled over to giggle into her shoulder.


End file.
